1. If you are not enjoying your course or lack motivation for it, you still have time to change it. Don’t worry about being a year behind because it makes no difference in the grand scheme of things. Make sure you put your work before your social life but still have fun when everything is up to date. I would recommend making a budget of what you can spend weekly based on your money coming in and money going out as it will help in the future. Lastly, if you do not achieve the grades you hoped for, go through clearing as soon as it opens as there are so many other options available.
2. Do what you want to a certain degree but don't drown yourself in the party life. Don't feel obliged to attend every event because usually you don't miss that much anyway. Eat vegetables and keep yourself moving. Exercise helps you stay in shape, sleep much better and gives you more energy than 2L of coffee a day (believe me....). Sports can be expensive at times but the investment is worth it.
3. Learn a lot of recipes before leaving home.
4. Enjoy it!
5. Stay focused and don't skip your lectures, the academic level is much higher.
6. Don't get too caught up in the misconception that university will be "the best time of your life" or that first year will be incredible fun right from the start. Moving away from home isn't easy, and I don't know anyone that hasn't had a few struggles along the way, but it's much easier if you realise that everyone feels like this (no matter how many 'night out selfies' they post on Facebook). And now that I'm a 3rd year, I also don't know anyone who isn't dreading graduation and wishing they could be a student forever. So it all works out in the end! ;)
7. Try not to close off yourself after you've found a small friendship group at the start of uni. Join societies so you can meet more people studying different courses.
8. Be as open as possible with other people, and throw yourself out there.
9. Interact with as many people from the beginning, in your building, in your course, anywhere. because if you wait too long, friendship groups will already have formed and it’ll be harder to get in.
10. Keep up with your work. If you finish early get your work done so you can relax in the evening. Spend at least one day on the weekend/free day at the library to get all your work done so it doesn't linger at the back of your head. Getting your work done asap lets you spend the rest of your time doing what you want to do.
11. Enjoy your time at uni, because the year goes by so incredibly fast. Also, make sure to state whether the course is actually something for you, because if it isn’t you are still young enough to change your mind and change your path.
12. Join societies, whether it’s for sport or through the course. You meet a lot of people through them and it massively helps your social life at uni.
13. Don't be afraid to try something new.
14. You will have to manage your time really well. It's very easy to not go to lectures and workshops because no one is making you go but in my experience it really helps to go. Join some sort of sport or other student organisation to get to know as many people as you can and be open towards everyone because otherwise you risk feeling alone. And especially in the Netherlands, your first year is very important. I needed to get all 60 credits in order to continue to my second year where as most courses do not require that, so it is important to check all the details.
15. Make sure you work hard enough in your first year. Resits are a pain and unnecessary.
16. Take every opportunity given to you.
